by Steve James on Tue Apr 09, 2019 12:22 pm
I wouldn't make any argument for being physically weak. I think the reality is that everyone becomes weak or is weaker than others and some point. So, I while I agree that being physically strong is better, I don't think it's always possible. I think martial arts were developed because of that reality. I don't think skill guarantees anything, but it gives one a chance. Without any training, there's little chance.
I also think the question is not how to get more strength. That's relatively straightforward. The issue is what you do with it once you get it. I think what most people object to are bullies, not strength. What the weak person in the class needs/wants is for the biggest kid to stand up for him. But, often it's the biggest kid that's the bully. My solution is simple. All the kids jump on the bully. However, in this society that doesn't happen. So, a friend of mine once noted that the reason people want to get stronger or to study martial arts is always the same: they're weak. They train to compensate, and sometimes overcompensate.
I'd say the object is to have a strong mind in a strong body for as long as they hold out. I'me, the construction workers I've known were more intellectual than the academics I've known were physical. That's life.
"A man is rich when he has time and freewill. How he chooses to invest both will determine the return on his investment."